Disclaimer: Not mine, obviously and also MalexMale but that's closer towards the end and isn't more than just handholding. You have been warned though, so there.

The first time it happened it had been Hazel and that was just as much as a shock as anything else.

Will hadn't even realized the reticent girl with kind eyes and warm smile had approached him until she jerked him back slamming him into the side of the cabin wall and she wasn't smiling and her eyes were the furthest thing from kind now. She looked… frightening and Will heard himself swallow as he held his hands up in passive surrender.

He has no idea what he's done to deserve so much hostility from the kind girl but he instantly regretted whatever it was because there was a reason Hazel had been chosen to be part of the Big 7 (as everyone is so fond of calling them nowadays) and he's pretty sure he just realized what it was.

"Um… hi," he somehow managed to get past the sudden cotton clogging his mouth as he blinked owlish blue eyes at her.

She bl

inked back before stepping away from him and Will allowed a slight relieved breath to escape his throat as she seemed to collect her thoughts. Will didn't give her much time to speak, though, not that she wasn't so close or murderous looking.

"Weren't you, Frank and Reyna supposed to have left for the other camp by now?" he asked curiously because, surely, they didn't all stay just so she could scare 10 years off of Will's lifespan. Or to give him a mini heart attack- whichever came first.

"We were," Hazel agreed with a narrowed gaze and Will was back to swallowing cotton, "but we all decided to stay several days longer to make sure everything was okay."

Will wasn't entirely sure why any of them would suddenly be fretting over the camp's safety but he figured it made sense. Everyone lost somebody in the battle but they had all lost a companion and a friend. It made sense to want to spend a couple extra days with each other.

That still didn't explain why Hazel was here slamming him into cabins though.

"Did I do something to offend you?" he blurted so suddenly he clamped both hands over his mouth and silently prayed that she hadn't heard.

She had, of course, because the gods hated him and Hazel was definitely going to kill him now.

Hazel just glanced at him with a pensive expression before she let out a soft smile and she shook her head, brown curls bouncing around her features.. It made her look old and youthful simultaneously and it would have left Will breathless if he wasn't concerned about being murdered so suddenly.

"You can be as dense as Percy sometimes," she whispered and Will didn't know if that was an insult or compliment and he didn't get long to dwell on it because Hazel was suddenly staring back at him with an intense expression he couldn't help but shrink backwards; she seemed to notice and backed off some but not before warning, "Don't even think about hurting him, Will, or I'll bury you so far in the earth no one will ever find your remains."

Which was frightening, for sure, but also confusing because who was Will even capable of hurting? He was a healer and didn't go out of his way to injury people purposefully but Hazel seemed deadly serious about it so she must think he was more than capable.

"Hurt who?" he ventured bravely and, this time, when she glowered at him he didn't wilt away because now she was questioning everything that made Will Will and that was just not okay no matter how scary or important Hazel is.

When he didn't back off Hazel's expression softened slightly but it was better than nothing at all. And in her softening features Will recognized something else- some sort of fond reminiscent expression that had Will blinking because Hazel might be nice to everybody but only one person could make her flip from threatening warrior to this.

Her brother. Nico.

"Why would I ever want to hurt Nico?" Will asked her because if Hazel thought he was even remotely capable of hurting a friend then she was sorely mistaken and perhaps not as smart or clever as everyone makes her out to be.

Her eyes snapped back up towards him as she defended quickly, "I don't think you'd ever intentionally hurt my brother but he's had a hard life and I'd hate to see you play with his feelings so carelessly."

"Play with his- What are you even talking about anymore?" Will demanded because now he's as confused as ever.

Hazel just gave him a gentle smile as she whispered softly, "Yup. Definitely as dense as Percy," before walking away leaving Will alone with his thoughts.

And she left plenty for him.

The next time happened almost immediately after Hazel disappeared except this time it came into the form of her boyfriend- Frank, an equally nice guy as Hazel but- like her- could turn scary with a drop of a hat.

They're perfect for each other.

But not so much for Will because he was regarded with another frightening expression that made him want to disappear forever.

"Hey Frank. You're girlfriend just left," Will stalled as he crept across the back of the cabin and away from the murderous looking shape shifter because- yup- he was definitely going to kill him.

"I came to speak to you," Frank explained in a neutral enough voice but his eyes were brimming with enmity Will didn't 100% believe necessary.

After all, he's done nothing of any sort of ill will towards either Hazel or Frank yet they both seemed to agree to regard him as some sort of enemy. But, then again, if it involved Nico then he doesn't see how he could be regarded as anything other than a villain. If something had happened to Nico…

"Is Nico alright?" Will demanded as the sudden need to make sure the son of Hades was alright filled him and left him breathless and trying to see over Frank's shoulder.

The warrior just let out a soft sigh as he quickly reassured, "Nico's fine and you need to understand that I want to keep it that way."

Will allowed his shoulders to sag as relief filled him along with so many questions.

"Why do you and Hazel suddenly believe I have ill intent towards Nico?" he demanded defensively because, out of everyone in the camp, he figured Nico was the least capable person of getting hurt by him.

"It's not that we think you have any sort of ill intent but Nico is my friend and her brother and there's a sort of responsibility that comes with that," Frank explained reasonably and Will understood that but didn't understand what that had to do with him.

"Have I offended Nico?" he asked a sudden sickening feeling of dread filling his entire being as he tried to imagine Nico- independent strong Nico- getting upset over something Will stupidly did or said.

Frank regarded him another look as he replied, "No."

"So why are you both suddenly afraid over me hurting Nico or his feelings?" Will demanded and- to his surprise- Frank started laughing.

It wasn't loud nor eccentric but it was genuine and something about it irked Will- like they were in on some secret and, for the life of him, Will couldn't figure out what it was. But he wasn't stupid nor suicidal and he still remembers the look in Frank's eyes as he approached him. The look he still faintly has, so Will just stood several feet away frowning like a little kid in trouble.

"You really don't know?" Frank asked after a long pause and Will just shook his head.

Frank snorted, clapping a large hand over his shoulder as he leaned forward his expression back to being scary as he threatened, "Just make sure you don't hurt him or do I have to tell you what will happen?"

Will shook his head, heart hammering in adrenaline fueled panic.

Frank gave his hand a firm squeeze before he disappeared in a fashion similar to Hazel's and if Will didn't know any better than he expected it all to be just some bad joke they were playing on him. A prank.

Unfortunately, he knew better but he also knew someone who could help explain exactly what was going on.

Nico.

He didn't even make it half way across camp before Reyna had caught up to him and wasted no time in slamming him into another cabin with a knife to his throat. Her eyes were on fire as she curled her lip back into a nasty looking snarl.

"Make him cry and I'll break you Solace," she warned wasting zero time in theatrics and Will didn't even need to be told who the he in question was.

"I would never intentionally hurt Nico," Will explained hoping it was enough to get this warrior away from him because Frank and Hazel- he knew- were overall kind people but Reyna was different.

She didn't seem unfriendly just… aloof and didn't exactly strike Will as someone who would mourn someone like him. Especially if she thought Will held any threat over Nico's (apparently) defenseless head.

"And besides," he continued as Reyna removed her blade from his throat, "I don't think you need to worry so much about Nico. He's more than capable of taking care of himself."

Reyna snorted, cracking a smile that was nowhere near as kind as Hazel or Frank's had been but didn't seem unfriendly either. The smile wasn't directed at Will though, her eyes had glossed over- as Will assumed- she thought about her younger companion.

"You are correct," Reyna agreed with a nod of her head, "but Nico is still capable of hurting and I am his friend," her eyes met his, hardened in resolve as she half-explained half-threatened, "I don't want Nico to hurt anymore."

"Me neither," Will defended quickly thinking back to the hug Reyna and Nico shared shortly after the battle.

It seemed the young half-blood has changed since he left camp all those years ago and now he's got an entire army on his beck and call. That is, if Nico knew his friends were even out threatening his well-being.

If Will had to guess, he'd say Nico probably didn't. After all, the kid might just appear to be violent but not unnecessarily so. He might pitch a fit and threaten Will with bodily harm but there's no way he'd send others to do for the dirty work for him.

So, no, Nico was just as oblivious as Will felt.

Reyna just continued to regard him with a bitter expression, arms folded over her chest as she still gripped her knife tightly. Then she smirked and replied, "Make sure you don't," before walking away.

Nico wasn't at his cabin so Will had to search for him, which he eventually did manage to find and was only sort of surprised to see him talking with Annabeth and Percy. He was grinning- beaming- and his hands were gesturing all over the place. Who could've guessed Nico was a hands person?

Not Will that was for sure.

"Hey guys," he greeted warmly as he stepped over to the trio.

Three pairs of eyes found his but it was Nico's happily glowing ones that caught Will's attention. Everything about the youth seemed positively happy and the furthest thing from being hurt it left Will deciding Hazel, Frank and Reyna were making a big deal over nothing.

At least until he caught sight of the other two pairs.

Annabeth's expression seemed guarded but her eyes had narrowed at him nevertheless, one hand on her hip. Percy was less causal about it as his handsome features were now twisted into a frown as he crossed both arms over his chest. Whereas Nico remained oblivious to it all.

"Hey Will," he greeted not exactly chipper but more friendly then he would have in the past.

He has definitely come a long way since Bianca's death.

"Hey Nico," he responded back instantly opting to ignore the perfect couple as he offered an awkward little wave at him.

Nico snorted before quickly filling him in, "I was just telling these two about my, Couch Hedge and Reyna's journey with the stature."

Oh yeah. After returning to camp everything seemed to happen in fast motion and it was the first time he would've had a chance to explain what had happened. It also reminded Will of something equally as important…

"How are the werewolf markings?" he asked voice concerned as he instantly went to pick up Nico's sleeve to get a better look.

Nico slapped him away before give him an exasperated stare as he promised, "I'm fine. They're healing like they should be."

Will nodded in approval as he muttered, "Good."

Nico just gave him a shy looking smile as he praised, "I had a good doctor," and it was the closest thing to a compliment Will's heard from the kid's mouth.

It left the healer blinking in shock, mouth dangling open slightly, but Nico was no longer paying attention and was turning his attention back towards his friends. Annabeth cleared her throat before he could continue any further with his story though.

"Percy, why don't you and Nico go get something for lunch. I'll catch up in a second."

Nico seemed confused but Percy just blinked in understanding before he nodded and beckoned Nico away. Annabeth watched them the entire time and didn't speak until they were fully out of earshot.

"He's come a long way," she instantly noted voice equal parts fond and warning, "I don't need to explain what will happen to you if you ruin it, do I?"

"A long- why does everyone keep worrying that I'm going to hurt him?" Will gawked and intense grey eyes were on him instantly.

"No one thinks that but it's better to let you know up front that if you play with his feelings or allow any of the confident happiness he's managed just know they'll probably never find your remains. Or even realize you're missing."

Then she tapped her temple before going to rejoin Percy and Nico.

Piper came on him next and didn't even seem to try to go for subtle as she quickly explained, "Nico cares for you and I care for Nico. Try not to do anything to upset him."

And then she turned to leave but Will was tired of this and quickly stopped her by latching onto her wrist. She halted, turning gorgeous features towards him.

"No. You don't just get to say that without explaining yourself. I deserve to know what everyone is so afraid of me doing to Nico," he growled at her and she blinked, tilting her head to the side slightly as she continued to stare.

"You mean… you don't know?" she asked and there was an underlying sense of exasperated disappointment. Like Will is already supposed to know and the fact that he doesn't makes her want to beat him with his own arms even more.

"What makes you possibly think I have any remote idea of what's going on?" he demanded arms in the air as he continued to stare at her.

She just blinked again before straightening up and responding in a serious tone, "I'm talking about you and Nico's feelings towards each other."

And, oh, now it all made sense. Everyone was afraid of Will hurting Nico because of his… sexual orientation.

"Hey, who Nico decides he does and doesn't like is his own business," Will quickly defended leaving out the part where Will may or may not share the same issue. Yet nobody is going around camp making sure nobody pokes fun towards him.

Piper just rolled her eyes and explained, "No, I don't care what you think about Nico. Okay, so maybe I care a little but Nico's capable of taking a little heat from the jerks of the world. I'm talking about you and him together."

She hissed the last word like she was letting him in on some big secret and suddenly everything seemed to make sense again.

They thought him and Nico were- are-

"We're not dating," he cleared up instantly surprised at the bitter taste the confession left in his mouth.

Piper crossed her arms and raised an unimpressed eyebrow and Will couldn't help but wilting underneath her expression. Thankfully, though, Jason Grace suddenly popped out from nowhere.

"Pipes hey," he greeted breathlessly as he finished jogging the last couple of steps to place both hands on her shoulders excitedly, "You'll never guess what… oh, hey Will."

Will blinked as the quarterback of a person acknowledged him and Will nodded straightening his back. To him, Jason always seemed so scary and intimidating but the way he acts around Piper and the way Nico talks about him and the way him and Percy interact reveal a completely different persona of the boy.

That did nothing to alleviate Will's uneasiness around him though. Especially not with everybody suddenly on the 'Protect Nico' thing.

"Me and Will were just talking about him and Nico," Piper quickly explained and there was no way Will could've missed Jason's eyes narrowing towards him suspiciously.

"Oh. Were you now?" the older boy asked still holding his girlfriend tightly.

"Yes," she nodded before latching onto his wrist and started to drag him away; Jason allowed her and was quickly reanimated into telling his story.

Will watched them go, his thoughts drawn back to a certain death boy.

He bumped into Nico later that day and the kid offered a soft apology as he went to move past him. Will wasn't so willing.

"We need to talk," he quickly protested latching onto Nico's wrist in hopes of keeping the boy from slipping through his fingers.

Nico blinked in shock before nodding in agreement, "Sure."

That's how Will ended up inside Nico's cabin explaining the day he's had. Nico listened in stony silence, face an expressionless mask but his eyes betraying his growing sense of frustrated anger.

Once Will finished Nico jumped to his feet and declared, "I'm going to kill them."

Which was a lie, they both knew, but Nico was righteously angry and wanted to scream atsomeone. Will was just reluctant to let the boy slip from his fingers again.

"Oh no you don't," Will protested as he quickly wrapped back arms around Nico's waist and drawing him back on the bed in his lap, causing the boy to instantly start squirming.

"Release me Solace!" he shouted bony elbows digging into Will's stomach and Will clutched him tighter.

"Only if you promise to stay and talk to me," Will bargained and felt Nico freeze before nod his head reluctantly.

Will let him go and Nico was instantly on his feet staring at Will with a confused expression.

"Nico I-" Will started suddenly feeling stupid and ashamed but he swallowed down those feelings and forced through clenched eyes, "I really like you."

Nico paused before he added, "I like you too Will."

"No. I mean I like, like you," Will corrected and this time looked up to see Nico blink in surprise but then his expression was softening and it left Will's heart drumming in his chest.

"Me too."

And it was as much as a confession as either one of them were getting as the next instant Nico's door was being slammed open and Jason strolled in.

"Jason!" Nico screeched as Will instantly diverted his gaze from the suddenly suspicious expression of Nico's friend.

"I just came to ask if you wanted to come to dinner with me and Piper," Jason responded smoothly, eyes practically boring into Will's soul.

"I don't care! Learn how to knock!" Nico shouted face turning bright red in embarrassment- something Will found hopelessly adorable.

"Sorry," Jason apologized before straightening his shoulders and asked, "What's going on?"

"Will and I were just talking!" Nico squawked as he rushed over to start shoving the larger boy out of his room.

"Really? What about?" Jason asked teasingly and Will was instantly on his feet.

"I was asking Nico if he wanted to come to dinner with me," he offered and Nico shot him a look before turning back to shoving Jason from his room.

"Oh? What did he say?" Jason asked curiously- challengingly.

"I told him yes so you can leave now," Nico spoke up before either one of them could respond.

Jason blinked in surprise before nodding and left. This time it was Will's turn to gawk as Nico turned back towards him.

"What?" the pale kid demanded, "Do you or do you not want to go eat with me."

Will grinned this time as he practically beamed, "Of course I do."

They were pretty much dating after that, always holding hands in public and sitting with each other at the campfires and sharing secret smiles that left Will's heart swelling in how much Nico became something so utterly perfect and precious to him.

Of course, Percy always seemed to tag along on all their "dates" and at first it irked Will but he soon found he didn't care all that much as Nico held his hand or grinned at him leaving Will feeling like a love sick fool, which- he supposed- he technically was.

And, after their third sort-of-but-not-really date without moma Percy it came to no surprise when Jason approached him with a serious expression.

Jason Grace, Will is starting to understand, nothing like his father. He cares about those around him and is a natural born leader and- despite the glasses- still scary if he wanted to be. A side of him, of course, Nico vehemently denies exists but is the side Will was seeing right now.

"Do I need to go into detail about what I'll do to you if you hurt him?" he demanded with a sharp scowl.

Will shook his head.

"Good," Jason approved before clapping his shoulder, "because I'm so thankful he's found someone that makes him this happy. Don't ruin it for him."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Will promised equally as serious.

Jason nodded again and seemed to have approved of Will. Will didn't get a chance to ask though because the next second Nico had approached them asking what they were talking about as he shyly sought out Will's hand.

It was then that Will realized why everyone had suddenly seemed overprotective of the pale boy beside him. They've all sought out to give Nico the happiness he deserves after all this time and they've succeeded in much different ways. But the happiness Will gives him was different and something they can't replicate and they're afraid of Will taking that happiness and crushing it.

Glancing over at Nico's still pensive expression Will couldn't help but feel the overwhelming love that threatened to swallow him whole and spit him back out still as lovesick and dumb as before because Nico gave him the same feeling of happiness Will gives him.

"We were just talking," Will quickly reassured taking Nico's hand in his own and squeezing before risking a glance towards Jason.

The blond boy was standing several feet away, arms crossed but Will could've sworn he gave him a firm nod of approval.